UFC strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern may look untouchable right now, but she has a rising threat on her radar. BJJ teen prodigy Helena Crevar turned heads at ONE Fight Night 39, dominating Hawaiian talent Teshya Noelani in her grappling debut. Already one of the youngest No-Gi pound-for-pound standouts, Crevar is now chasing even bigger challenges. At just 19, the rising star pulled off one of the most impressive debuts of her career.

Helena Crevar made it look effortless in the match, securing a first-round ankle submission to claim a decisive victory. However, she isn’t stopping there. The rising star has set her sights on UFC champion and BJJ legend Mackenzie Dern, eager to test herself against the sport’s top-tier fighters. While Helena still has a long journey ahead, she made her intentions clear in a recent interview.

Teen grappling phenom targets UFC champion Mackenzie Dern

“Yeah, definitely. Mackenzie, I’ve known about her pretty much since I started when she was still competing in jiu-jitsu… I believe around then, she had already won ADCC and IBJJF black belt worlds. So it’s definitely amazing to see her now going into MMA and also being successful there,” Helena Crevar told Bloody Elbow, expressing her desire to face UFC star and strawweight champion Mackenzie Dern.

Although the debate over the greatest women’s jiu-jitsu legends will always exist, few stars match Mackenzie Dern’s dominance. She inherited her grappling skills from her family and trained under her father, BJJ legend Wellington “Megaton” Dias, before stepping into competition as a teenager, which is similar to what Helena Crevar is doing now.

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Over the years, Dern has dominated the mats, winning titles at the World Jiu-Jitsu Championship, Pan-American Championships, Asian and European Championships, and ADCC. With over 23 gold medals, she clearly presents a dream challenge for the 19-year-old Crevar.

Currently, Mackenzie Dern dominates the UFC strawweight division, having recently claimed the title at UFC 321 with a one-sided win over Virna Jandiroba. To challenge the veteran someday, Helena Crevar will need to keep leveling up. However, she shows massive potential and is evolving rapidly every day under coach John Danaher.

However, the UFC now also hosts BJJ-focused events, where rising grappling stars like former ONE star Mikey Musumeci are already making waves. Who knows, we could see Mackenzie Dern take on Helena Crevar on the UFC mats.

Helena Crevar just started

At just 19, Helena Crevar has already built an impressive resume. She earned a silver medal as one of the youngest ADCC competitors and also claimed titles at Polaris and WNO, in addition to winning the women’s grappling tournament at CJ2. Moreover, Crevar isn’t stopping and aims even higher, with no boundaries to what she can achieve. Even while competing in ONE Championship, she seeks out more MMA stars to challenge and prove herself at the UFC level.

Beyond the UFC, Crevar can compete on other platforms like HYPE and RAF, where MMA fighters face off against grapplers and wrestlers. Although a full women’s grappling-BJJ crossover with MMA hasn’t happened yet, it could happen someday, and Crevar may be ready to face Mackenzie Dern.